Rating:
Um, we're gonna say PG for this chapter leading up to NC-17
hopefully.

Parings:
Cain/Glitch/Ambrose, you know it's awesome when there's two slashes
in there. Possibly Jeb/OC later on. Cause for some reason I can't not
make an OC.

Summary:
A annual and half after the defeat of The Witch, Glitch and Ambrose
are two halves of the same person with very different priorities.

Part
One: Seasons of Contention

He
talks to himself even more now than he did when he was only Glitch.

Of
course, now there's actually someone to talk to.

"We're
working tooo hard! I'm tired! You're tired!"

"Just
let me get the last few pages done..."

"You
said that forever ago... You know I could just walk us right out of
here..."

"Glitch,
I said..."

"Five
minutes. You said that when DG came in. With dinner. When the sun was
still out."

Ambrose
sighed and looked out the window as he ran his fingers through his
dark curls, the tips barely ghosting over the hidden scar.

Huh.
Imagine that. It was dark. When had that...?

"Like
hours ago you freak!"

A
slow smirk as deft hands stacked the papers that littered the desk,
"Oh, so I'm the freak now..."

"Yes!
I at least take naps, and rests."

"You'd
sleep all day if I let you."

"What's
wrong with that?"

"With
the amount of work now that the O.Z. needs..."

"Just
one day! Not all days. Some days."

"No."

"Weekends?"

"No,
Glitch."

"Tuesdays?"

"Glitch..."

"Alternate
Tuesdays?"

"Glitch!"

DG
paused moments before she lifted her hand to knock. They were
arguing. Again. Quietly she leaned forward and pressed her ear
against the door.

"Workaholic!"

"Basket
case!"

"You
started it!"

"I
did not!"

Ah,
so they had already gotten to the name calling bit.

She
smiled, it was only a matter of time before name calling turned into
'well I'm not talking to you either' and then it was only a good day
or so before the muttering picked up again. They'd be friends again
for maybe another few days or so before the whole thing started over.
DG rolled her eyes as the bickering fell into silence. It was what
she had wanted to discuss with them. This couldn't be healthy. For
either of them, if that made sense. It had been confusing to begin
with and now it still was it was just... familiar confusing.

Glitch
had wanted his brain back, between the alchemists and her magic
they'd done it. Except that for the first week or so, there wasn't
any sort of change at all. He was still Glitch, silly, stumbling
Glitch, and while that had been disappointing for some it was, well,
it was okay because they loved Glitch and even if the operation
didn't work like it should have... But it hadn't been that easy.

DG
opened the door a crack, Glitch hadn't come out of the lab so Ambrose
must have won the argument. She stuck her head in experimentally, it
was Ambrose, standing over the desk, pushing papers around and making
notes in neat script in a leather bound notebook.

She
hadn't met Ambrose until a week and a half after Glitch's brain had
been returned to him. No one had. Not until one afternoon when he'd
broken through like sunbeams through a cloudy sky.

She
had been sketching as her mother read out loud. They were both in
Glitch's room, after it had become apparent that it was nearly
impossible to keep the man in bed unless someone was there with him
every moment of the day. DG had figured he'd be at least a little
mellow after what was considered major brain surgery in her book, and
sure he was, for the first two days, before he'd gotten completely
bored. It was after the third time that Cain had carried him back to
bed that they'd organized a watch, with shifts and everything. DG
though it was silly the way it had come out so regimented, but Cain
had used his serious look and she'd agreed to 'from lunch to dinner'.

But
like she had said, Ozma, that was her mother's name, she had learned
it at the same time that Glitch had re-learned it, was reading. Some
fable about green glass and maybe there was a horse. DG had only been
half listening. When they had both noticed at the same time that
Glitch had gone quiet. That wasn't any surprise since he was supposed
to be listening to the story, but since it was Glitch; listening that
meant that he listened for about a minute before he interrupted or
asked a question or got them all on a tangent that interrupted the
story for a half hour before they got it back on track.

This
time was different. He had gone really and truly quiet, and when DG
looked up he was sitting there in bed, looking a little confused,
maybe a little worried down at his hands, which were still in his
lap. Another worrisome sign. His hand were rarely still. Fingers
dancing, gesturing, picking at his sleeve or tugging on a brown curl
or poking tentatively at the edge of the white bandage that ran down
where his zipper used to be.

All
three of them were silent, her mother lowering the book slowly as
Glitch looked down at his hands and after a moment carefully uncurled
his fingers as his eyes widened and he blinked.

"Glitch?"
DG tried to keep the concern out of her voice but the question
wavered a bit at the end.

He
didn't even move, like he hadn't even heard her and she heard her
pencil hit the floor as she leaned forward.

"Glitch,
are you okay?"

Nothing.

"Glitch!"

She
looked up as her mother reached out and took her wrist. DG bit her
lip and then her eyes widened as her mother leaned forward gently,

"Ambrose?"

He'd
blinked and then looked up, his eyes lighting up barely with
recognition and he'd opened his mouth for what seemed like a second
before he closed it again and the confusion returned. It was like he
had wanted to speak but had simply... forgotten...

DG
watched her mother put the book on the end table and then very
slowly, deliberately curled her fingers around his.

He'd
stiffened, his entire body tense for a moment before he took a deep
breath and DG saw him deliberately relax, his eyes back on his hands,
on Ozma's fingers as very, very carefully he'd reached over with his
other hand and curled it around hers. Then just the briefest ghost of
a smile came over his face, like a child, just when its figured out
how to tie a bow or how high it can jump.

Then
there had been a slow shake of his head and all of a sudden Glitch
was blinking again and asking if he'd fallen asleep. Blushing a bit
when he found the queen holding his hand, and altogether curious and
concerned about what had happened to make both women look so pale.

A
meeting had been quickly called.

It
hadn't gone well.

"Ambrose?"

DG
slid the rest of the way into the room, a library attached to a
workshop. At least the workshop door was closed. If he'd been in the
middle of something there she'd never have gotten more than three
words out of him. Ambrose's mind wandered almost as much at Glitch's
did just in a different direction.

He
looked up after finishing the sentence he was writing, and nodded
politely.

"Good
evening, princess."

DG
shot him a look and he dipped his head, "Pardon. DG."

"That's
better." She flopped into the chair he never seemed to use and
peered over notes and drawings, "Though it is a little bit later
than 'evening'. It's technically a 'good morning', but I couldn't
sleep."

"Oh,
is it?" He frowned a little as he tipped his pen just a bit as if
he was going to put it down and then thought better of it as he kept
writing, "I really should have a clock put in down here. I supposed
I could make one but that would just take more..."

"Time?"

Ambrose
smiled lightly, "Ah yes, needing time to make time. It sounds
ridiculous. Though..." A pause before a shake of his head, "No,
no, that wouldn't work."

DG
toyed with a bit of wire she'd found tucked between papers.

"Are
you two getting along? I mean, I heard you guys arguing again."

Ambrose
wrote a word, "Ah, it's just the usual one. I'm working too hard,
he's bored. Though I'll apologize he didn't greet you, I may have
implied that it was physically impossible for him to remain silent
for more than fifteen minutes and he's currently hard at work proving
me wrong."

There
was a flash of expression on his face for a moment, a flash that
wasn't Ambrose but Glitch looking smug for a moment before it was
Ambrose again looking thoughtful at his notes.

DG
smiled as she twisted the bit of wire in half before absently
braiding it together.

"You
guys have been fighting a lot lately."

Ambrose
nodded his head from side to side, agreeing and not agreeing. Cain
had called him dodgy in that tone of voice that only seemed to
surface when Ambrose was in the room. The man had a knack for never
saying exactly what he meant, or what he wanted. He danced with words
with as much grace and rhythm as he did to music. Of course now that
he had Glitch taking up residence with him, some things got blurted
out whether he liked it or not.

"Is
there a why or do you just not get along?"

A
long suffering sigh over the scratch of the pen, "Must I answer
you, Princess DG?"

"You
could tell everyone over breakfast..."

Brown
eyes sparkled and a Glitch smile passed over his features before
Ambrose looked up,

"Don't
tell me. They've sent you as an emissary."

DG
grinned, twirling the wire which had become a heart in her idling
fingers.

"We
are kind of wondering. Since it's usually Glitch that tells us, but
we haven't seen him out in awhile."

Time quickly calculated in his head. Two weeks. He'd been working on
recalibrating the Sun Seeder for two weeks.

Ambrose
grimaced, "Ah, it's been two weeks, hasn't it?"

DG
nodded as Glitch rolled his eyes and left Ambrose blinking.

"Sorry,
I just got so absorbed in my project that I sort of..."

"Tuned
him out?"

A
sheepish grin was followed by a strong wide eyed nod and DG smiled.

"You
should know by now, that's not nice."

Ambrose
pursed his lips before giving her as genuine a smile as he had.

"I
stand by that fact that it was worth it though. The Sun Seeder should
finally be fully operational in a week or so, in its [ioriginal[/i
capacity."

"That's
great! Mom 'ill be excited. Is that what you've been doing in here?"

Ambrose
nodded as he finally set his pen down, "I've finished the initial
calculations and drawn up orders for the alterations which will have
to be overseen, of course, but for now, I guess I can say I'm done."

"Yay!"

DG
laughed as Glitch suddenly burst through and then reached up to cover
his own mouth,

"Oops,
that wasn't fifteen minutes, was it?"

Ambrose's
guarded expression returned, "Not quite, but it was a good effort."

He
bowed slightly at DG, "Now if you don't mind, I believe I shall
turn all questions to my other half then."

DG
nodded, "He tells me more than you do."

"Well,
he does benefit from a lack of reputation to uphold."

"Hey!
I've got lots of reputation, thank you!"

Ambrose
merely smiled a strained smiled and nodded as Glitch slipped more
permanently to the forefront.

"I
have all sorts... of..." Glitch muttered and looked a bit darkly at
the papers on the desk. He'd shove them back all into disarray if
he'd remember why he was so...

"Hi
DG! What's up?"

"Couldn't
sleep. Wanna go get some pancakes?"

"Yeah!"

Pancakes
were nice. Pancakes didn't overwork themselves or call him names.
Pancakes didn't tell him that he was making too much fuss over one
silly thing. It wasn't silly. Was it? Sometimes he forgot what it
was. But now that he had Ambrose he could just ask him so it was kind
of nice. It was like he remembered, but he didn't, Ambrose remembered
for him. Which was like him remembering except it wasn't.

He
was currently engaged in licking berry syrup off his fingers while
telling a long rambling story about some incredibly dumb thing
Ambrose had done when he was seven, since it was so nice having
memories now even if they felt like someone else's, and he knew he
knew the story until he thought about it and then blinked,

"Hmm,
I think I forgot the last part."

DG
was laughing so hard, her cheeks were pink,

"I
think Ambrose would want you to forget the last part."

He
grinned. It was always all right when DG was around. He missed her
sometimes when Ambrose was working really hard and Glitch was lying
around in the background making colors and shapes and comments. They
just didn't mesh, at least not more than just around the edges,
apparently that was a side effect, because it had been a really,
really long time since he'd been properly put together and something
about different experiences. He was sure there was going to be a book
written about it or something. How Ambrose had become something not
quite human and Glitch had become something... well something broken,
and when you smashed them together what you got was still a little
broken just in different ways.

Sometimes
Ambrose forgot he was human again which was lucky because at least
Glitch was good at remembering sleeping and food and hugs. While
Glitch could forget names and periodic tables, Ambrose could forget
that he could leave the room he was in. When they were apart they
were both broken, even though sometimes Ambrose refused to admit it,
but together they made up a sort of whole-ish person. But that didn't
mean they got along.

They
were very different people and over the last annual and a half... Was
it really an annual an a half since he'd gotten his brain back? Yes,
Ambrose said, a bit sleepily. Well, over the last annual and a half
something seemed to happen everyday to remind them of it.

First
of all Ambrose had no sense of fun what so ever.

He
claims that he does but Glitch knows better. Confidence. Confidence
was the key and Glitch had thought confidence came from being smart.
He couldn't have been more wrong. Ambrose is confident when he's
talking about machines or numbers or strange theories long forgotten.
But he's quiet at parties or dinners. Not a word comes out when
people are joking and the only dances he'll do are the boring proper
ones. Even though he likes dancing! He likes it! But he won't do the
fun ones because...

"Glitch?"

"...embarrassing..."

"Glitch!"

"Oh!
Sorry, were you saying something?"

DG
chuckled, "No, I was just watching you stare off into space and get
that grumbly look you get when you're thinking about something you
don't want to."

"Well,
that's not very polite. You're supposed to keep me from getting that
look."

"Sorry,
is it Ambrose?"

Glitch
huffed, "Of course."

"I
was trying to get him to talk about it..."

Glitch
laughed and twiddled his fork in his fingers, "Good luck with that.
I think you'll get a medal if you get him to say anything out loud."

"Ooh!"
DG grinned, "I like medals. Is it shiny?"

"Very
shiny," Glitch raised his eyebrows as he grinned, "The shiniest
ever."

Laughter
eclipsed thoughts and grumbles on the outside. But the sighing
feeling was still there. Ambrose wasn't Glitch. Ambrose didn't like
sweets. He didn't care how pretty the sunsrise was. He didn't ask for
help. He didn't smile when he felt he should. He didn't snicker when
DG told a joke.

"Oh
hey, we got a report from Cain."

Glitch
felt himself smile, sort of silly as his stomach flip flopped,
"Really? Is he doing okay?"

"Yep,"
DG nodded as she ate a figberry, "him, Jeb, and the mapmaker are
about halfway through Winkie Country, whatever that means. They say
almost all of the western coast is done. Then they're going to head
north to double check the map that Dad had."

Glitch
took a deep breath keeping his smile in place, "That's good.
Important work and all. We all have to do our important work to
do..."

He
trailed off, his eyes suddenly wide as he felt the overwhelming urge
to bolt from the room, part of it was him but most of it was Ambrose
who had perked up at a topic he didn't want to hear at all about.

"You
miss him that bad, huh?"

Glitch
was too unguarded to pretend he didn't know exactly what she was
talking about. But he smiled silly anyway.

"Of
course. We all miss Cain."

DG
sighed and Glitch wanted to talk and rant and blather... But he felt
Ambrose in the back of his mind and he didn't want Ambrose to be mad
at him. So he changed the subject and they laughed until the cook
shooed them out, even though he could see the sorrowful change in
DG's blue eyes when she looked at him, but he didn't want Ambrose to
wake all the way up and tell him what it was.

Glitch
and Ambrose weren't the same person. They didn't quite agree on some
things but they only really had one big point of contention.

Ambrose
didn't love Wyatt Cain.

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